the goan I network
MARGAO
The four-day Goa Heritage Festival got underway at the Old market-Borda area of the city on Thursday with Finance Secretary Daulat Havaldar saying the heritage festival underlines the importance of the important legacy of Goa and the need to conserve the heritage.
Tourism Secretary J Ashok Kumar hoped the festival will showcase Goa’s rich cultural heritage to the country and the world and also help preserve the State’s culture and heritage.
After the four-day event was declared open by Chief Secretary Piramal Rai in the presence of Finance Secretary Daulat Havaldar, Tourism Secretary J Ashok Kumar, Tourism Director Sanjeev Gadkar and others at the Opinion Poll square, near the Ravindra Bhavan, the scene later shifted to the Borda area behind the Holy Spirit Church where Goa’s Nightingale Lorna performed live. A host of artists were honoured on the occasion for their rich contribution to art and culture.
The entire area right from Old Market to Borda and the adjoining areas wore a festive look as the entire three-km long route was illuminated to mark the four-day festival. The brass band was in attendance.
Finance Secretary Daulat Havaldar later told the media that the primary heritage of Goa is its language and culture. “When the State talks about conservation, it is to preserve and conserve the buildings and the relative activities concerned to its habitat. Goa has a lot of influences from all over the world during its colonial period, especially the Portuguese influence, which was a total departure from the past. In a way, it is good that Goa has assimilated all these influences. And the society of Goa is here to conserve what was in the past, inclusively,” Havaldar added.
To a question, the Finance Secretary stated that apart from conserving private houses, the government has a scheme to preserve the houses of artists, their libraries and their artifacts. “By doing so, we are linking tourism and culture. That is what the west has one and we are following the good things in the west,” he said.
Saying that Goa is known all over for its rich cultural heritage, Tourism Secretary J Ashok Kumar said the Goa heritage festival will make known to the people that Goa has a rich cultural heritage and the government is committed to showcase the heritage to the world at large.
Later in the evening, Goa’s Nightingale Lorna entertained the people with her popular Konkani songs at a specially erected stage behind the Holy Spirit Church.
